Mora was two-and-a-half years old when he moved with this mother from Mexico to Danbury.
A gala in Danbury this weekend honors immigrants or children of immigrants in the state who’ve overcome tough challenges in life. One honoree – Carlos Mora, Jr. – grew up undocumented and is now a Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Mora was two-and-a-half years old when he moved with this mother from Mexico to Danbury. He was raised in a tough, inner-city neighborhood and said there were challenges both out on the streets and back at home.
"I was the first one in my family to speak English, ‘cause my parents they would only go to work, but they would never practice the language," Mora said. "And to connect with my mom -- it was hard because I was learning more English than Spanish."
As he grew up, Mora said the challenges became more complex.
"It was a huge language barrier and as I got older, it became a cultural barrier," Mora said. "Because I was raised in a certain way. My parents -- they’re kind of old-school, and there was a lot of liberty around me. I had to respect their rules and boundaries."
Mora wanted to drive, but couldn’t because he was undocumented. He wanted to enter the military but couldn’t do that either. He was able to enroll in Norwalk Community College, but while his peers got scholarship support, he had to pay out of pocket.
Mora had applied for residency when he was quite young, and waited more than a decade to be approved. He entered the Marines, serving in Japan and South Korea. In April of this year, the 30-year old became a U.S. citizen.
When asked about lessons he’s learned, Mora said to never feel sorry for yourself. "Because, challenges? They’re like a blessing," he said. "You’ve got to get through it. And keep pushing for whatever you believe in. At the end of the day, you’re opening doors for yourself."
Mora is one of the honorees at The Tribuna Newspaper’s American Dream Awards celebration. Funds from the event will help to defray the medical costs for another Connecticut leader in the undocumented immigrant youth movement.
